Billy Francis

FSU Student Veterans Center celebrates 10 years

Published: November 12, 2021 | 1:20 pm | Posted in: University News

As the nation honored its military veterans this Veterans Day, Florida State University commemorated one decade of the Student Veterans Center. Established 10 years ago on Nov. 11, 2011, the Student Veterans Center helps ease the transition from military service to campus life, integrating student veterans into the general student population and local community. Military […]

FSU honors WWII filmmaker with Student Veteran Torchlight Award for Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking

Published: November 9, 2018 | 8:30 pm | Posted in: Arts & Humanities

Paul Cohen, executive director of the Torchlight Program, discusses "Memphis Belle" with Catherine Wyler, daughter of filmmaker William Wyler at the 8th annual Veterans Film Showcase. (FSU Photography Services)

Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts Torchlight Program kicked off Veterans Day weekend by commemorating the 75th anniversary of World War II with a screening of the famed 1944 documentary “The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress” Friday, Nov. 9, at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The documentary by renowned Hollywood filmmaker William Wyler takes audiences aboard the final mission […]

FSU’s Billy Francis helps student-veterans soar to new heights

Published: November 8, 2018 | 9:09 am | Posted in: University News

William "Billy" Francis, director of FSU's Student Veterans Center, is dedicated to helping veterans thrive at Florida State. "We want to be a national beacon of veteran support and success. We want to empower veterans." (FSU Photography Services)

Retired Air Force fighter jet pilot Billy Francis, who leads Florida State University’s Student Veterans Center with a can-do attitude and benevolent heart, has navigated a winding life journey, sometimes literally at Mach speed. While his zigzag route has sent him and his family all over the world, Francis has brought a steadfast focus to his many missions and always delivered an invaluable gift: helping everyone along that path rise to new heights. This Veterans […]

FSU unveils memorial in honor of U.S. Navy hero Scott Speicher

Published: February 16, 2018 | 10:45 pm | Posted in: University News

The bronze helmet is similar to one that Speicher would have worn as a pilot of the F-18 Hornet. (FSU Photography Services)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The spirit of Scott Speicher, an FSU alumnus celebrated as a true American hero, is alive and well on the campus of Florida State University. FSU President John Thrasher joined members of Speicher’s family Friday to unveil a new memorial honoring the U.S. Navy pilot whose fighter jet was shot down on […]

Student-veterans find a ‘home’ at Florida State

Published: November 9, 2017 | 1:15 pm | Posted in: Students & Campus Life, University News

As the nation takes a day to honor its military veterans this Veterans Day, Florida State University is upholding its commitment to honoring and supporting its student-veterans all year long. Six years ago, Florida State launched several new initiatives with the vision of becoming a national beacon of veteran success — most notably through the creation […]

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